Machine for grinding and refining paint, cellulose, chocolate, chemicals, and such like material



Dec. 29, 1931. J MMNTYRE 1,838,565

MACHINE FOR GRINDING AND REFINING PAINT, CELLULOSE CHOCOLATE, CHEMICALS. AND SUCH LIKE MATERlALj Filed April 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 29, 1931. J MclNTYRE 1,838,565

MACHINE FOR GRINDING AND REFINING PAINT, CELLULOSE,

CHOCOLATE, CHEMICALS. AND SUCH LIKE MATERlAL Filed April 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 29 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN MCINTYRE, F PORTOBELLO, SCOTLAND MACHINE FOR GRINDING AND REFINING PAINT, CELLULOSE, CHOCOLATE, CHEMICALS, AND SUCH LIKE MATERIAL Application filed April 20, 1931, Serial No. 531,590, and in Great Britain February 25, 1930.

My invention relates to improvements in and connected with machines for grinding and refining paint, cellulose, chocolate, chemicals and such like material, and has for its objectinter alia, to improve the construction of the grinding elements, so that they will be more eflicient in grinding and stand up better to wear and tear, also to improve the method of exerting pressure between the stationary and rotating grinding elements.

According to this invention, provide a jacketed cylinder in which the material being ground is contained. The inner surface of this cylinder is fluted or grooved and against which the rotating elements act. A driving shaft is provided on which is suitably mounted two rings which carry and operate the flexible grinding elements. The inner ring may carry the flexible grinders and the outer ring may be made to operate them or vice versa. In the present construction, the inner ring carries the flexible grinding elements, which ring is fixed to and rotates with the driving shaft and the outer ring is suitably mounted on rollers which are placed between the inner and outer ring in such a manner that the outer ring is loose or floating. This has the effect of providing greater flexibility to the rotating grinding elements and a more evenly distributed pressure can be exerted on them. Flexible metal blades or springs, which may be curved or flat, are suitably attached to the inner ring, these blades having attached totheir outerends,bars which act as the rotating grinding elements and hold the bars when no pressure is exerted on them at an angle of approximately 45 to the radius of the cylinder. By means of the outer ring being operated and exerting 40 pressure on the flexible blades, the bars are brought into Contact with the grooved surface of the cylinder and pressed against it in such a manner that the angle of the bars in relation to the cylinder is altered at varying pressures, causing the rubbing surface of the bars to offer a new line of contact to the grooved surface of the cylinder as the pres sure is increased or decreased. The method of attaching the grinding bars by means of 59 a single bolt or rivet to the flexible blades permits the bars to swing or hinge on their centres in a longitudinal direction, thus equalizing the pressure on their line of contact with the surface of the cylinder.

By giving a limited turning movement to the outer or floating ring in one direction, it operates on the flexible grinding elements and presses them against the grinding surface of the cylinder insuch a manner that the ring accommodates itself to any difference of temper or hardness which may occur in the flexible spring blades, and gives an evenly distributed pressure to the grinding bars. The loose or floating ring operating in this manner also prevents any undue wear taking place at the bottom of the cylinder caused by the unequal distribution of the weight of rotating parts. T 0 release the pressure on the grinding elements, the loose or floating ring is turned in the opposite direction.

The floating ring which operates the flexible blades is given a limited movement in the direction of the machines rotation or in the opposite direction, by means of two bellcranks which are attached to two toggle rods, the other ends of the toggle rods are attached to the inner end of a centre spindle which has a limited movement backward and forward through the axis of the driving shaft. The outer end of the centre spindle is screwed and operated by a nut attached to, but free to revolve on the outer end of the driving-shaft. Suitable gearing is provided to operate the nut in either direction. The gearing is situated at the outer end of the driving-shaft and is actuated by means of a hand-wheel or friction-brake in such a manner that the nut which is attached to the centre spindle and revolves with the driving shaft, may be en gaged and turned in either direction while the machine is in motion. The gearing is so made that, if the hand-wheel is pushed inwards, then held stationary, it will turn the nut on the end of the centre spindle through the rotation of the driving shaft. If the hand-wheel is pulled outwards, then held stationary, the nut is turned in the opposite direction through the rotation of the driving-shaft. When the machine is stationary, the hand-wheel may be pushed inwards or pulled outwards, and it will engage with the nut on the end of the centre spindle when it can be turned in either direction.

In order that my invention may be pro erly-understood and readily carried into effect, I have hereunto appended three sheets of drawings, of which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through the machine. 7

Figure 2 is a cross section of the cylinder.

F i ure 3 is an enlarged view of section of the uted surface of the cylinder.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional elevation of an alternative method'of tightening gear.

Figure 5 is an end view of brake-band.

Referring to the drawings, A is the jacketed cylinder in which the material to be ground is contained, the material bein filled into the cylinder A through hoppers situated on t e end covers 0 and D, a sluice-valve, not shown, being fitted at the bottom of end cover C for drawing off the refined material.

The inner surface of the cylinder A is formed of bars 20, the round edges of which form flutes or grooves as shown and against which the rotating grinding elements operate.

A driving shaft G is provided, on the inner end of which are suitabl mounted, rings H and I, these two rings H operate the rotating grinding elements. The

inner ring H carries the grinding elements and is keyed to and rotates with the driving shaft G, and the outer ring I is mounted on rollers J which are situated between the outer ring I and the inner ring H, and are held in position by plates K which are bolted to the rollers J, the plates K have slotted ends which engage with extensions on studs 0 on the back of the rings H and I, keeping the rollers J in position, but permitting them to have a limited rolling movement. The rollers J are made slightly smaller in diameter than the distance between the two rings H and I, which permits the outer ring I, when in operation to have a floating movement.

Flexlble metal blades or springs L are hinged to the inner ring H by making the ends of the blades L in cylindrical form which fit into the open sided holes M, bored in the ring H, and are kept in position by the guard ring B secured by the screwed pins 0 to the ring H. The flexible blades L have attached to their outer ends the grinding bars N and hold these bars N in such a manner that their face forms an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the radius of the cyl inder A. The outer ring I when moved forward in the direction of the machines rotation, by gear to be described hereinafter, is made to exert pressure on the back of the flexible blades L, through the pipe 0. In this manner the grinding bars N are brought into contact with and pressed against the fluted inner surface of the cylinder A so that and I carry and the angle of the grinding bars N, in relation to the cylinder A, is altered, by the bending of the flexible blades L, and at varyin pressures the rubbing surface of the bars offer a new line of contact with the fluted surface of the cylinder A, the grinding bars N being attached to the outer ends of the flexible blades L by means of single rivets or bolts P, or such like, this permitting the grinding bars N to swing on the rivets or bolts P in a longitudinal direction, thus equalizing the pressure exerted along the line of contact -with the surface of the cylinder.

i is that the ring I, through the pins 0, when made to exert pressure on the flexible blades L, permits the ring I to accommodate itself to any difference of hardness or temper which may occur in some of the flexible blades L, thus giving a more evenly distributed pressure to the grindin bars N, it also prevents any undue wear ta ing place at the bottom of the cylinder A, which sometimes occurs in machines of this type, this wear being caused by unequal distribution of pressure and Weight of the rotating grinding elements.

The floating or outer ring I is given a limited movement in the direction of the machines rotation or in the opposite direction by means'of two bell-cranks formed by levers Q and R which are keyed to the short spindles S. The end of the levers Q, are disc or circular in shape and engage with plates T which forward movement through the axis of the main driving-shaft G. The outer end of the centre spindle Y is screwed and engages with the nut 2, which is free to rotate in the hollow end of the driving-shaft G. A gearwheel 3 is keyed to an extension on the outer T end of the nut 2, the thrust on the nut 2 be ing taken up by the ball races 4 and 5. The gear-wheel 3 meshes with a pinion 6 which is cut on the same short spindle that carries the gear-wheel 7. The gear wheels 7 and 8 rotate about their axis and above the axis of the machine. A cap 8 having hand-wheel 9 attached, has a sliding fit over the end of the gear-box cover 10, allowing the cap 8 to be rotated and moved back and forward endways within limits. The cap 8 carries the internal toothed gear wheel 11 and the pinion 12, the latter having an extension spindle 13 which is free to slide in the hollow outer end of the nut 2.

The driving-shaft G is rotated by means of a worm-wheel 14 and worm 15 housed in the gear-box 16, the boss 14a of the worm-wheel 14 being keyed to the driving shaft and running on ball-bearings 17 and 18. The driving shaft G passes through the packing-gland 19 on the end cover D.

In constructing machines of this type, it has been common practice to have the bearings inside the cylinder, incurring the possibility of oil leaking into the material being ground, but in the present construction, this is obviated by having the bearings contained in a gear-box which is apart from the cylinder.

The fluted surface of the cylinder is composed of bars 20 having flat sides which present semi-circular surfaces, forming flutes or grooves on the inside of the cylinder A. The bars 20 are tapered at the ends and lit into dove-tailed ends 21, cut in the wall of the cylinder A. After the bars 20 are fitted. into their place, a key 22, which runs lengthwise through the cylinder A and is also dovetailed into it, see Figure 3, is inserted and caulked up, pressing the flat sides of the bars 20 hard together, thus preventing the leakage of material being ground between the bars 20 and the wall of the cylinder A.

If desired, a friction brake-band 23, held in position by the studs 24 and 25 and operated by the lever 26 may be provided so that the cap 8 is prevented from rotating, see Fig ure 5.

The method of operating the machine is as follows The machine is set in motion through the worm 15 acting on the worm-wheel 14 which is keyed to the driving-shaft G, causing this shaft, with the wheel or ring H attached to it, to rotate in the direction as shown by the arrow in Figure 2. c

To tighten the grinding-bars N against the fluted surface of the cylinder A, the cap 8 is pulled out by means of the hand-wheel 9 until the toothed pinion 12 is in meshwith the gear-wheel 7, the cap 8 is then prevented from rotating, either by means of the hand-wheel 9, or by applying the friction brake 23. By this means and through the machines rotation, the nut 2 is operated through the pair of gears 36 and 712, in operating the nut 2 which engages with the screwed end of the centre spindle Y, this spindle being drawn through the hollow driving-shaft G towards the gear-box end of the machine.

The toggle-rods V being connected to the centre spindle Y by the bolt Z, and operating through the levers R and the short spindles S, turn the levers Q, in the direction of the machines rotation, the levers Q engaging with the plates T bolted to the back of the ring I, move this, ring I in the same direction. In this manner the pins 0, which project from the face of the ring I, are made to exert pressure on the back of the flexible blades L which have the grinding-bars N attached to their outer ends, bringing the grinding bars N into contact with and pressing them against the fluted surface of the cylinder A. To release the pressure on the grinding-bars N, the cap 8 is pushed in until the internal toothed gear-wheel 11 is brought into mesh with the gear-wheel 7, the cap 8 being again held stationary as described, thus, through the gears 117 and 3-6, also the rotation of the machine, the nut 2 is rotated in the same direction as the machines rotation, but at a faster speed. In this manner, the nut 2 engaging with the screwed end of the spindle Y, pushes it through the hollow driving shaft G in the direction away from the gear-box so that through the bolt Z, toggle-rods V acting on the lever R and through the short spindles S, operate the levers Q which engage with the plates T bolted 'to the ring H, bringing it back in the opposite direction to the machines rotation, and thereby releasing the grinding bars N from the cylinder surface.

In operating the modified tightening gear as shown on Figure 4, the cap 27 is pushed in by means of the hand-wheel 28 until the pins 29 engage with the holes 30 formed in the flange 31 which is keyed to the extension spindle 32 on the nut 33 by the pins 34. The cap is then prevented from turning by holding the hand-wheel 28 stationary, the rotation of the machine causing the end of the centre spindle Y, which is screwed, to work through the nut 33, which is being held stationary, and thus tightens the grindingbars N against the cylinder surface as already described. To release the grinding bars N, the hand-wheel 28 is turned in the same direction as the machines rotation, but at a faster speed.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. A grinding machine of the class described comprising in combination, a drum having a corrugated inner surface, a rotatable head disposed within the drum, flexible arms or blades pivoted on said head and arranged in tangential directions with respect to the axis of said head, a grinding barpivotally secured for equalizing action intermediate its length to each of said arms and adapted to be brought into trailing contact with the corrugated inner surface and throughout the length of the latter, and a circumferentially moveable' ring carried by said head and having stops engaging said arms intermediate their ends for moving said arms toward or from said corrugated surface to increase or decrease the grinding pressure of said grinding bars, and means for rotating said head.

2. A grinding machine of the class described comprising in combination, a drum having a corrugated inner surface, a rotatable head disposed within the drum, said head comprising an inner ring and a concentric outer ring, means for turning said rings with limited movement in opposite directions with respect to each other, flexible arms or blades pivotally secured to the inner ring and confined between stops secured to the outerring so as to be arranged in tangential directions with respect to the axis of said head, a grinding bar pivotally secured for equalizing action intermediate its length to each of said arms and adapted to be brou ht into trailing contact with the corrugate inner surface and throughout the length of the latter, means for moving said rings relatively to each other soas to move said arms toward or from said corrugated surface to increase or decrease the grinding pressure of said grinding bars, and means for rotating said head.

3. A grinding machine of the class described comprising in combination, a drum having a corrugated inner surface, a rotatable head disposed within the drum, said head comprising an inner driving ring and an outer concentric floating ring, means for retaining said rings in spaced relation, means for turning the floating ring with limited movement with respect to the driving ring,

said means comprising a manually controlled linkage actuated by the rotation of the head for moving the rings relatively to each other in opposite directions, flexible arms or blades pivotally secured to the driving ring and confined between stops secured to the floating ring so as to be arranged in trailing relation to the head, a grinding bar secured to each of said arms and adapted to be brought into trailing contact with the corrugated inner surface, said means for moving said rings relatively to each other causing said arms and grinding bars to be moved toward or from said corrugated surface to increase or decrease the grinding pressure of the grinding arms, and means for rotating said head.

4. A grinding machine of the class described comprising in combination having a corrugated inner surface, a rotatable drive shaft, a rotatable head driven by said shaft, said head comprising an imier driving ring secured to said shaft and an outer concentric floating ring, rollers between said rings for retaining said rings in spaced relation radially, means for turning the floating ring with limited movement with respect to the driv ing ring, said means comprising a linkage, an axially movable threaded rod connected to the linkage, a feed nut cooperating with the threaded rod, manually controlled gearing for selectively rotating the feed nut in opposite directions relatively to said drive shaft for turning the rings in opposite directions relatively to each other, flexible arms or blades pivotally secured to the driving ring and confined between stops secured to the floating ring so as to be arranged in trailing relation to the head, a grinding bar pivotally secured intermediate its length to each of said arms and adapted to be brought into trailing contact with the corrugated inner surface, and throughout the length of the latter, said means for moving said rings relatively to each other causing said arms and grinding bars to be moved toward or from said corrugated surface to increase or decrease the grinding pressure of the grinding bars, and means for rotating said drive shaft and head.

5. A grinding machine of the class described comprising a drum, a rotatable head disposed within the drum, grinding bars carried by the head, a fluted or corrugated inner grinding surface formed of flat bars extending longitudinally of the drum and having inwardly presented rounded edges, said flat bars being removably mounted and tightly packed together whereby they are held in fixed relation and the material being ground is prevented from passing between the bars to the inner wall of the drum.

6. A grindingmachine of the class described, comprising a drum, a rotatable head disposed in the drum, said head comprising aninner driving ring and an outer floating ring concentric therewith, rollers for retaining the rings in spaced relation radially, means pivotally secured to the rollers and slidably retained by the rings for keeping the rollers in relatively uniform spaced relation, arms secured to said head, and grinding bars secured to said arms, means for adjusting said rings relatively to each other to increase or decrease the grinding pressure of said bars, and means for rotating said head.

7. A grinding machine of the class described, comprising a drum, a rotatable head disposed in the drum, said head comprising an inner driving ring and an outer floating ring concentric therewith, spaced projecting pins secured to the rings, rollers for spacing the rings radially, slotted links pivotally secured to the rollers and having pin and slot connection with said rings for retaining said rollers in relatively uniform spaced relation, arms secured to said head, grinding bars secured to said arms, means for adjusting said rings relatively to each other to increase or decrease the grinding pressure of said bars, and means for rotating said head.

8. A grinding machine of the class described comprising a drum, a rotatable head disposed within the drum, grinding bars carried by the head, a fluted or corrugated inner grinding surface formed of flat bars extending longitudinally of the drum and having inwardly presented rounded edges, and a Wedge disposed between the fiat bars to removably mount and tightly-pack the latter together whereby they are held in fixed relation and the material being ground is prevented from passing between the fiat bars to the inner Wall of the drum.

JOHN MOINTYRE. 

